Why maya?

[Guest guest]

At 10:24 PM 8/7/99 -0400, you wrote:

Dear Ram,

> If we take little more time think carefully, we can see the

>fallacy in Ramanujam's questions!

>

The accomplished advaitin will supposedly not perceive distinctions like

world, others, questions, etc. and will therefore have a difficult time

answering a question which doesn't appear. As long as we all continue to

appear the questions are not so easily dismissed (in my opinion). Just

imagining a state of absolute non-differentiation is like saying "if there

were no question it would be as good as answered". :-))

>

>However, different individuals in this universe can conceive their own

>understanding (intellectual approximation) of TRUTH.

>

Sankara commenting on a verse in the Vedanta Sutra says "even men of

undoubted eminence have contradicted one another". But actually there

are no different individuals in this universe according to advaita is

there? :-))

 

I found many references in the book I just read to support your statement

and Robert's about the correct role of reason, experience and sruti but

could not find the one about the advaitin system also being able to stand

on its own apart from sruti. I could just be wrong about that.

 

I also understood the way in which the advaitin system can incorporate all

other systems into itself and why this might lead people (maybe the

majority) to consider it to be *the* supreme synthesis of Indian

spirituality. Everything else like visistadvaita, saivism, etc. can be

seen as an expedient means along the road to realizing the complete truth

of advaita. Your quote about the devotion of Sankara might exemplify this,

I think. Did Sankara say progress towards Advaita perfection, even the

inclination towards Advaita, is only possible by virtue of the grace of

God? Is that what "Isvaranugrahadeva pumsam advaita vasana" means?

 

Perhaps I'm just at the visistadvaita stage -- but happily so! :-))

 

all the best to you,

 

-A.